PG&E Technology Demonstrations Help Pave the Way for a Smarter Energy
Infrastructure

April 05, 2017 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A high-tech robotic tool that adds more safety to a work process; a
comprehensive map that details where fast chargers could most benefit
California’s blooming electric vehicle market; and two of the first
market-participating large-scale energy storage facilities providing
energy and ancillary services in California energy markets.

These are some of the direct results from advanced technology
demonstration projects comprising the Electric
Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program. Pacific Gas and Electric
Company (PG&E) completed 14 technology demonstration projects as part of
EPIC in 2016, which are highlighted in PG&E’s recently filed EPIC
Annual Report.

These projects were designed to evaluate and validate technologies that
help PG&E meet key objectives such as enabling continued growth of
distributed energy resources (DERs) and modernizing the grid, all while
continuing to advance safety, reliability, and affordability for our
customers.

“What we’re learning from these EPIC projects will directly benefit our
customers in terms of saving money, improving reliability and advancing
grid efficiency. The results will both be used operationally by a number
of our teams here at PG&E, as well as by other energy companies,
technology companies, and other stakeholders who will benefit from these
results,” said Kevin Dasso, vice president, Electric Asset Management,
PG&E.

The projects covered a wide spectrum of technologies that have the
potential to make the electric grid safer, more reliable, and more
affordable for our customers. Some notable examples of EPIC achievements
highlighted in the Annual Report include:

Direct
Current Fast Charge (DCFC) Mapping: Identified optimal
locations within PG&E’s service area for DCFC Electric Vehicle (EV)
chargers based on factors such as cost, available infrastructure,
traffic patterns, and site host and driver preference. DCFCs enable
electric vehicles to recharge up to 80 percent in 30 minutes or less,
which is critical for supporting growth of EVs. The team identified
more than 14,000 individual potential charger host sites, which were
developed into an interactive
online map that visualizes the optimal DCFC locations in PG&E’s
territory. Additionally, the project developed best practice
guidelines for siting DCFCs, which further encourages EV adoption by
drivers, site hosts, and developers.

Energy
Storage for Market Operations: PG&E successfully tested
how large-scale battery storage systems perform in the CAISO market,
substantially helping to inform the conversation about energy storage
in California. PG&E’s 2 megawatt (MW) Vaca-Dixon and 4 MW Yerba Buena
battery storage systems provided energy and ancillary services in
CAISO markets. The Vaca-Dixon system was the first battery storage
resource in California to participate in the market. The Yerba Buena
system, in San Jose, was the first battery storage resource to both
participate in the market and serve a reliability function supporting
PG&E customers in the event of a disturbance or outage.

Close
Proximity Switching:PG&E collaborated with a
few robotic tool vendors to design and demonstrate a robotic device in
both a lab and field setting that allows workers to more safely
operate certain underground equipment that have a potential risk of
failure. The devices allow the worker to operate these switches from
about 25 feet away, rather than standing over the enclosure as was
needed with other tool approaches. This provided a greater safety
clearance for the operator, as well as made monitoring the pedestrian
activity in the area easier, thereby better protecting employees and
the public in case of switch failure.

The EPIC program plays a vital role in helping PG&E drive the innovation
needed to help meet California’s policy and clean energy goals while
also ensuring the safe, reliable and affordable operation of the grid.
To date, PG&E has launched 34 EPIC projects, including the 14 projects
that closed in 2016. These projects help advance the energy technology
landscape, leading to product solutions that are beneficial for our
customers, the environment, and the economy.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of
the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and
Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/
and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.